of geneva



Patented A11 12, 1919.

C. GOUDET. PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION 0F L|QUIDS.APPLICATION FILED r'isizl. 1919. 1,312,974.

" STATES PATEN1 OFFICE.

CHARLESGQUDET, F GElil'EVA, SWITZERLAND, A$sIGNOR TO THE FIRM 0F'SOCIETE DETUDES CHIMIQUES POUR L lNDUsTBIE. 0F GENEVA. SWITZERLAND.

v rnocnss'nun arransrns roe FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION 0F "memesApplicatiiinfiiec February To all whom it may concern.-

I Be it known -.-tl1at-I, Ciiannns Goober, a citizen of Switzerland.residing, at Geneva, Canton of Geneva, in theConfederationjotSwitzerland; have invented certain new and useful Improvements inImproved Processes of and Apparatus -for Fractional DistillationofvLiquids, ofwhich the following is-a specification;

The present invention relates to alprocess of and apparatus for theseparation" of ;\'olatile liquids by fractional distillation by thecmploymcntofa dephlegmato'r maintained at a predetermined temperature bythe ebullition of aj liquid under-'pressure. 'lhdteinperatu-re of thisebullitionof the liquid un-'-' der pressure may be regulated andmodified as desired by raising the pressure above the atmosphericpressure. I t v --The dl'j ing is a centrallongitudinal cross contactbodies may be closely Wound coils of small cylinders of wire gauze orany other well known contact bodies. The dephleg mator is connected atone end by a tube 7 to a distilling apparatus not shown in the drawing,and-intthe other end by the tube {7 to a condenser also not shown in thedrawin}; h is a coiled pipe for the passage of 'steam intended to heatthe contents of the boiler but which as will be understood may be heatedby a fire or any other source of heat.

When the constituents of, a mixture of several liquids such as forinstance the three isomeres of xylene, boiling at differenttemperatures'are to be separated, the temperature within the boiler a isfirst maintained at about 136 centigrade by heating water or any otherliquid under pressure in order to separate the para-xylene which boilsapproximately at this temperature and the vapors of which are thencarried away. by the pipe 9 to the condenser to which reference hashereinbefore been made. paraxylcne has thus been se 'mratcd the pressurein the boiler is raised by regulating the valve 0 in order to raise thetemperature section ofa'ii'apparatus for carrying out my. invention. i ais a boiler which is provided with'adoni in which thereiis a returncondenser I) and i the dephlegmator.

After all the Pa tented Aug. 12, 1919. 27,1919. Serial No. 279,570. 7

sufficiently to separate the metaxylenc which boils at 139.2 (1, and themetaxylenc is then passed from the dephlegniator to the pipe (1 andthence to the condenser to which reference has hcrcinbcfore been made.

his apparatus offers a natural advantage orer the hitherto-knownapparatus in which the condensing liquid is maintained boiling and at aconstant temperature by reducing the pressure within the boilercontaining this liquid, because it easier in practice to raise 1 than toreduce the pressure.

he condensingliquid may vary accordfing to the degree of temperature tobe obtained in theboiler a. It may consist of water, benzene or othermore or less volatileliquids. The vapors which a re produced in'theboiler are constantly condensed by the condenser b and the condensedliquid flows back into the boiler; The dephlegmator-d may be connectedto the distillation tower by means of an intermediate pipe in order tobring back to this tower the liquid which nsom'e cases is condensed andremains in Any form of d'e-phlognia-tor may be employed.. l

I claim as my invention:

11. The, hereinbefore described process of separatingvolatile liquids byfractional distillation consisting in passing the volatiles to beseparated to a dephl'egmator, maintaining the dephlegmator at a giventemperature for a predetermined period and then varying the temperatureof the dephlegmator by varying the pressure of the medium by which thedephlegmator is heated.

The hereinlict'ore described process of separating volatile liquids byfractional distillation consisting in passing the volatiles to beseparated to a dephleginator, maintaming the dcphlcgmator at a giventemperature for a predetermined period. and ibcn raising the temperatureof the dephleg' mator by increasing the pressure of'themedium b v whichthe deplrlegmator is-heated.

The hereinbefore described process of separating volatile liquids byfractional distillation consisting in passing the volatiles to beseparated to a dephlegmator. and sue" cessively increasing thetemperature of the dephlegnnitor at predetermined intervals bycorrespondingly increasing the pressure on the medium in whichthe'dephlegmator is heated.

4. An imparams for separating volatile liquids by fractionaldistillation comprising a vessel, a dephlegmator in said vessel, meansfor heatulg-and condensing a dephlegmator heating medium containedwithin said ves- I Within-the said boiler, connections leading the wallsof the said to and from the said dephlegmator through boiler, and meansfor varying the pressure on'the heating medium in the boiler.

- 6. An apparatus for separating volatile liquids by fractionaldistillation comprising a boiler adapted to contain a heating medium, adephlegmator in the heating me diuin within the said boiler, connectionsleadingto and from the said dephlegmator through the walls of the saidboiler, a condenser located in a dome forming part of the said boiler,and a pressure valve in the upper portion of the said dome.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHAR-LES GOUDETQ lVitnesses:

LOUIs H. MUNIER, Ron. DE WURSTEMBERG.

